McCain: Hey, you know we could repeal much of Obamacare by refusing to fund it…

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“If the intensity level is as high as it is, I can draw you a scenario where the president would be forced to repeal or really replace it with the provisions [Republicans] wanted,” McCain said in an interview with KFYI 550.

It’s not totally crazy, but very unlikely. This idea, however, might have some legs:

At the very least, Republicans could refuse to fund healthcare, the Arizona Republican added.

“You could basically repeal major provisions of it” by refusing to fund them, McCain said.

Even if the GOP takes back the House and maintains a filibuster in the Senate, this isn’t quite as simple a strategy as it seems. It might result in a big public showdown with the president over shutting down key parts of the government which is politically risky. However, with public opinion on their side they could still potentially kill odious parts of the legislation and force Obama to compromise on other things.